By Paul W. in Hardware | 07/07/2011
If you’re a small business, you may be considering adding a server into your network. Once your business reaches a certain size, there are many good reasons to add a server into your organisation. Below are just some of the best reasons.
Reliability
Server hardware uses redundant hardware. A failure of one device would mean the system could continue to operate, and the failed part be replaced.
Client operating systems are limited to the no. of users who can
simultaneously access them (i.e. Windows XP can have 10 concurrent
connections). The more connections that are made to the client, the slower the response starts to become. Server-based operating systems are optimised for access speeds, and in terms of increasing disk space they are much easier to upgrade.
Centralising your company’s email system will make it easier to manage and gives you more control. Email that you send to your staff currently has to go out through the internet, to your email servers somewhere else in the country, then back in through your internet connection to deliver the email to the person 2 metres across the room from you! A great waste of resources, and can cause a bottleneck on your internet connection. A server solution would also allow you to make use of shared calendars, contacts, and group emails.
You can control WHO has access to WHAT DATA, and what TYPE OF ACCESS they have.
Files and Printers can be shared from a centralised server location, which in turn reduces the load on individual machines.
Access to the office server and emails can be made from anywhere in the world. In this day and age remote working is sometimes a must, and having remote access as if you were in the office is a great way to implement the seamless office.
For me, the single most important thing. By centralising the company data on a server/s, backup procedures are made easier and simpler. The risk of data loss is also reduced, as it is the server’s data that is backed up rather than the individual PCs.